Author: Opastaff

This month marks the 31st anniversary of the passing of Antoine Rossini Jean Baptiste, born Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste, better known as Ti Manno. He died on May 13, 1985, in Queens, NY, and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens. In the first week of April 1985, after a long hiatus from the Haitian music industry, rumors spread like wildfire in New York City that Ti Manno had died. During that hectic week, many radio stations and newspapers ran with the story until Ti Manno himself made an emotional phone call to a New York radio station a few weeks later,…

One of the first groups of H.I.V. patients in a poor country to get free AIDS drugs has about the same survival rate as their closest counterparts in the United States, according to scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College. Ten years after a free treatment program was introduced in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, two-thirds of the first 910 patients enrolled were still alive, the researchers said in a brief report published in The New England Journal of Medicine. That is roughly the same 10-year mortality rate found among gay men in this country who started antiretroviral triple therapy when it was…

Every May during Haitian Flag Day weekend, thousands of devoted Haitian music fans travel to Florida for the annual Haitian Compas Festival, a celebration of Haitian music and culture. For four days, attendees enjoy a wide variety of events organized by the festival team, but the main attraction is always the festival itself. Held annually on a Saturday, the Haitian Compas Festival is one of the largest outdoor events in the U.S., as noted by Billboard Magazine. Despite its name, the festival goes beyond just showcasing Compas music. Each year, a lineup of Haitian and international artists perform various genres,…

Without a doubt, KLASS is currently reigning over the Haitian Music Industry as the “best band.” With less than five years under their belt, KLASS has taken the industry in a chokehold and refuses to let go. If their last two singles are any indication of what’s to come in their upcoming album, every other band vying for the number one spot might want to start calling “Houston” because there’s a problem – and it’s called KLASS. The last time the industry saw something like this was when a band named CaRiMi burst onto the scene. Don’t get it twisted;…

You’ve heard right! Gazzman will feature three female artists on his upcoming album. The ladies will be singing duets with Gazzman. Recently he was in Best Definition studios with Meilan and Saskya Sky. We’re not sure if they already laid any tracks yet but it’s just a matter of time. The third lady will be non-other than Zouk singer Tina. The album is scheduled for an Easter Release. Ou bien tande! Gazzman ap prezante twa atis fi sou album li kap vini n. Medam yo pral chante duet ak Gazzman. Dènyèman li te nan Best Definition Studio ak Meilan ak Saskya…

Fritz “Fito” Duverger, one of the Haitian music Industry’s pioneers and owner of the record store Factor Music, INC located in East Flatbush, Brooklyn has passed away last night at around 10pm in his home.  Mr. Duverger is the brother of the late Marc Duverger of the record label Marc Records. The label is known for housing such bands as Tabou Combo, Coupe Cloue, Jazz des Jeunes and many more in the 1950s and for many decades thereafter. Mr. Duverger woke up Saturday night not feeling well but refused medical attention. When he started experiencing emesis; an ambulance was dispatched…

The musical group DAT7 will be in the spotlight on Haitian soil for their very first live “baptism of fire” performance, set to honor two contracts on March 12 and 13, 2016. It’s worth noting that DAT7 officially introduced itself in Haiti a year earlier, on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, at the Royal Oasis PV hotel, where the group revealed two “Test Pressing” tracks to public and media appreciation: Depozit and Se Konsa. The DAT7 formation is expected in Haiti on March 12, where the group will perform at the Royal Oasis hotel in tandem with the group Kreyol La,…

We’re going to place this right here and walk away…

An evening of tribute to “Eric Charles” was organized jointly between the “Mardi Alternative” team and Radio Télé Galaxie last evening at Delmas 31. Several artists and musical groups stood out with their presence last night in the gardens of Radio Tele Galaxie, they produced quite a few hit songs by Eric Charles. The entire war machine of the Mizik Mizik formation accompanied by other musicians and instrumentalists performed live almost all the best compositions and the pens of the star of “Mizik Mizik” in this case “Eric Charles”. Radio hosts, cultural operators, big molars from the Haitian political world,…

Roody Roodboy and Rutshelle Guillaume’s once celebrated relationship has turned into a public controversy that has caught the attention of many within and outside the Haitian music industry. The couple, initially admired and even graced the cover of Ticket Magazine, saw their personal issues exposed, involving accusations of infidelity and domestic violence. The trouble began when Rutshelle was accused of cheating, leading to heated confrontations that culminated in an explosive breakup. Rumors circulated after Rutshelle’s angry audio clip was leaked, where she denied the allegations and insisted that she and Roody were still together. However, Roody later confirmed their separation…